The goal of this research is the development of chemically modified surfaces that can function as sensors for the detection of species in solution. Surface attachment of the sensing element is achieved by functionalizing it with thiol groups that can form strong bonds to Group IB metal surfaces using the self-assembled-monolayer (SAM) technique. Mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are essential tools in the characterization of new, surface-active molecules.